Dear Sri zebra16 Ji,
A fair comment. I do not want to name the college involved as I have already said that I did not get a high standard of education there. It is a well known institution in my town, even today, and I do my best to help them in various ways.
I would say that today the standards have gone down even further, with the professors there claiming that they have to admit all the 'uneducated' high schoolers from the surrounding villages. Instead of trying to pull up these students from their low academic qualifications with make up classes, they try to justify their lazyness by saying that this is the problem with these youth. So they are graduating an uneducated lot, who can not stand on their own in a competetive world. I read a doctoral thesis when I visited and I could not believe that such work would be approved as a doctoral thesis, even with outside academics from a reputed schhols on the thesis committee.
The reason I got admitted to good schools in USA (not the top schools) with financial ride, despite my education in India was because of a strange phenomenon of demand/supply in Physics at these colleges then. China has not opened up yet, and only Taiwan and India could supply students especially in Physics during those times in volume, when Americans stopped pursuing higher studies in Physics, but the demand for research and teaching assistants remained. So, there were openings for folks like me, who have secured first classes in exams, and were offered admission and aid on the basis of recommendations from any Indian born professors in any discipline teaching at these schools. They gave their nod to major Universities (in my case, University of Madras) and not a particular college.
The way me and my friend even picked USA Universities to apply was based on them waiving the application fee (we got a list of these schools from USIS in Madras). That is how we were able to apply, even though the postal rates were very high for sending them by airmail. We managed it somehow.
I had one decent Physics teacher who would teach the 'physics' behind the theory and equations out of more than a dozen in the department. The rest would literally 'read' the respective books on subjects verbatim. Their english communication skills were poor, and they communicated in 'mani pravalam', so that the students can understand. I do not blame them, the system was set up like that.
As I recounted elsewhere, when I landed in USA my spoken english was atrocious, my subject level was at best at a sophomoric level of a US Uni standard. Unfortunately (or fortunately as it would turn out later), my first three courses in USA were taught by the same Professor, with a heavy Okalhoma accent. Being required to make at least a 'B' in these classes to keep my fellowship where I was only one of two new grad students, rest are experienced grad students, as well as advanced Seniors, I just did not know how I was going to succeed. The subject matters were all above my head, and I could not understand most of what my Professor was saying, so I could not even take proper notes.
Gathering my courage, I went to him and told him my dilemma (not about me not understanding the SM level), and he graciously gave his time to explain to me after class if I did not understand anything at all and he slowed his teaching speech considerably so I could follow. He could have very easily shown his back to me, but he did not. To this day, I always feel a sense of gratitude to him, because he allowed me to succeed. From then onwards, I made use of the great American system of putting in enough work per class not only to learn the SM taught, but also to go back and firm up my foundation, which I was lacking.
This is what I try to convey to those in my college every time I go there. But there is little change. All these years only a handful got admissions abroad, even applied, and my friend and I were the first ones to go abroad for graduate education.
By the way, my High School education was an adventure by itself, all because of myself and my activities. Story for another time.
As I look back, it is easy to take credit on any successes I have had in this life by myself. Close examinations however reveals that I was at the right place at the right time, aided by numerous kind hearted folks, and all this point to His grace. It could have easily turned the other way, but it did not. And that is the point.
Regards,
KRS
AND
Gentlemen
By all accounts you have been more successful than others in your career front and your school/college did play some part in your success.
Are the school or college no more in existence? Is there a reluctance to name the institution? It would be a welcome change to hear about other institutions than the Bhajanai of IITs.
